Cougar Spike Mini

Overview

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Browse 8 expert reviews so far

Excellent:

1
Good:

1
Average:

1
Bad:

0

Pros:

Good value for money, Compact design, Room for 330mm long graphics cards, Fits long PSUs, Relatively sturdy build quality
Decent fit and finish, Front panel I/O includes USB 3.0, Inside and outside painted to match (matte black), Decent number of drive bays for a mini case, Room for long video cards, Sells for about $35 US
Cougar Spike: Price, Performance and Quality. Cougar DualX Fans: Price, Performance, Quiet, Beautiful, Blade Design.

Cons:

Very limited cable management options, Tight fit, No cutout for easy CPU swappping, Poor toolfree mounting mechanism, No dust filter for side panel vent, DV Hardware gives the Cougar Spike a 8/10 and our Seal of Approval award.
Not heavy duty by any means, Tool-less drive mechanisms aren't very useful, 5.25" drive mechanism attaches to one side of drive only and drive can move / come loose, 3.5" drive mechanism attaches on both sides, but still isn't very secure, 2.5" drive mount at bottom of the case doesn't seem well executed, Not much room for cable management - I would strongly suggest a modular PSU...

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Last revision on February 3, 2015

Reviewers Liked

Good value for money, Compact design, Room for 330mm long graphics cards, Fits long PSUs, Relatively sturdy build quality
Decent fit and finish, Front panel I/O includes USB 3.0, Inside and outside painted to match (matte black), Decent number of drive bays for a mini case, Room for long video cards, Sells for about $35 US
Cougar Spike: Price, Performance and Quality. Cougar DualX Fans: Price, Performance, Quiet, Beautiful, Blade Design

Reviewers Didn't Like

Very limited cable management options, Tight fit, No cutout for easy CPU swappping, Poor toolfree mounting mechanism, No dust filter for side panel vent, DV Hardware gives the Cougar Spike a 8/10 and our Seal of Approval award
Not heavy duty by any means, Tool-less drive mechanisms aren't very useful, 5.25" drive mechanism attaches to one side of drive only and drive can move / come loose, 3.5" drive mechanism attaches on both sides, but still isn't very secure, 2.5" drive mount at bottom of the case doesn't seem well executed, Not much room for cable management - I would strongly suggest a modular PSU
Cougar Spike: No cable management. Cougar DualX Fans: Not PWM

Expert reviews and ratings

With a retail price of around $34.99 the Cougar Spike delivers a very good price/performance ratio. It's a great budget case for anyone seeking to build a compact Micro-ATX gaming rig - it's affordable but doesn't feel too cheap. Spike is not...

By DV Hardware on July 30, 2013

Normally we would discuss value at the end of a conclusion but in this case we are switching round a bit as expectations need to be set. This case retails for $35/£30 which places it right on entry level for a gaming chassis and so goes some way to...

By HardwareHeaven on July 01, 2013

If your looking for a great entry level gaming case along with an exceptional value for the money spent then look no further because The Cougar Spike is just that. And if you are considering upgrading or adding fans to your current build then the...

By Pureoverclock on May 31, 2013

but in this case we are switching round a bit as expectations need to be set. This case retails for $35/£30 which places it right on entry level for a gaming chassis and so goes some way to explaining the minimalist approach.Minimalist doesn't mean...

By HardwareHeaven on July 01, 2013

It's been far too long since we saw a Cougar chassis in the eTeknix office, but I'm happy to say that they have graced us with their presence once again, for those of you who missed the older Cougar reviews you can read up on the robust Cougar Evolution...

By eTeknix on June 01, 2013

Overall I am very impressed with the Cougar Spike mini gaming tower case. It is a very budget friendly case, but it offers a few items you might not typically find at the lower end of the price scale. In addition to having a decent number of drive...

By Bigbruin on May 31, 2013

Small form factor is all about trade-offs; small form factor on a budget even more so. Use of the 3.5″ HDD cage creates some fairly significant problems. These are overcome by careful assembly planning, and accepting that you don't want to be swapping...

By technlologyx.com on March 16, 2013

The new Spike from Cougar is the definition of style on a budget. We love the looks of the case as it does speak to the gamer side of us. Being all black inside and out adds to the goodness this case has visually. In the front there are only two USB...

By proclockers.com on February 12, 2013